I want to walk from Finisterre to Santiago. Waymarking?

[michaelk]

I am walking from Muxia to Finisterre and then Santiago. I have Brierley's book but it is for the opposite direction. Will the waymarking be adequate? Michael K

 

[mspath]

michaelk,

There are plenty of markers but
to go backward is more complicated than you might think; searching for the famous yellow arrows pointing opposite your direction isn't easy. Viewed backwards the arrows resemble anchors. Thus it all will be a bit of a treasure hunt!

Happy searching and Buen camino!

 

[jsalt]

I am walking from Muxia to Finisterre and then Santiago. I have Brierley's book but it is for the opposite direction. Will the waymarking be adequate? Michael K

Hi, not quite what you asked, but I walked from Muxia to Santiago and got lost a few times, as there was no waymarking in that direction. It is actually very difficult trying to find your way “backwards”. I was also confused by other arrows that might have been for cycling events. For example, at one fork there was a red arrow on the road pointing to the right. Unsure which way to go, so I decided to go right. After a couple of kms, of frequently turning round to look on the back of telegraph poles, etc, for a yellow arrow, and not seeing one, I realised I should have taken the left-hand fork. The next day I realised I was way off-route again after several kms. Rather than backtrack I asked locals for the road to Santiago, and once there I could work out where I was and find the path again. On the main camino, if you wander off the path, a local will often let you know that you are going the wrong way. Around Muxia, where there may be other walkers, runners and cyclists, it’s not obvious that you are a pilgrim trying to get back to Santiago, so they leave you be. Jill

 

[LudoPeregrinus]

Hi Michaelk,
I walked from Finisterre to Santiago in March. I used the GPS track Santiago - Fisterra and reversed it.
So I encountered no difficulty in finding my way.
I admit that it is almost impossible to follow the Camino using the "normal" waymarking.
I you do not want to / cannot use a GPS you can download maps of Spain (1:50.000 or 1:25.000) from the IGN.es web site. Downloading is free if you do not use these maps comercially.
Ludo

 

[michaelk]

Hi Michaelk,
I walked from Finisterre to Santiago in March. I used the GPS track Santiago - Fisterra and reversed it.
So I encountered no difficulty in finding my way.
I admit that it is almost impossible to follow the Camino using the "normal" waymarking.
I you do not want to / cannot use a GPS you can download maps of Spain (1:50.000 or 1:25.000) from the IGN.es web site. Downloading is free if you do not use these maps comercially.
Ludo

Thanks to all respondents. It seems to be difficult. I might try another route

 

[Tincatinker]

It seems to be difficult. I might try another route

@michaelk it needn't be that difficult. The route from Muxia to Fisterra is well-marked in both directions - be sure to take the coastal variant from Lires. From Fisterra to Cee is pretty easy too: keep the big wet thing to your right and you can't go wrong . Once you have the track from Cee to Olveiroa under your feet there are no opportunities for navigational error of any consequence either: just keep ahead. If you have the Brierley guide (and time before you set out) you could try what I did and simply transcribe his directions in reverse. Start at the bottom of the paragraph and work up: right become left, left becomes right (straight ahead never changes) and the waymarks appear in reverse order. If in doubt walk towards the nearest pilgrim. Brierley's maps are mere schematics and not detailed maps but all I did was held the page upside-down if I was un-decided on a wiggly bit. I never wasted a yard.

And don't forget to give your feet a good soak at the fuente at the Ermita San Pedro Martir - sovereign against ailments of the feet

 

[jsalt]

Hi Michael, yes, if you go in season, when there are lots of pilgrims walking from Santiago to Fisterra, and you are unsure of which fork to take, just wait for the next pilgrim to come along towards you. There are very few pilgrims walking between Muxia and Santiago, in either direction, at any time of the year. I walked in November, and met only two others. Jill